Purple Pain: Prince Sues Facebook Users for $22M for Bootleg Performance Recordings

Here we go.

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Prince is back to his suing ways—this time targeting Facebook users.

Twenty-two individuals have been targeted in a lawsuit filed by Prince Rogers Nelson for posting links to his live concerts on the popular social media website, as well as numerous other blogs. Prince is looking to claim a cool $1 million from each offender. Some of the performances shared by these users include his 2002 set in Oakland; a 2011 show in North Carolina; and a 1983 show in Chicago. According to the lawsuit, Prince claims that the 31-year-old set damages his current earnings, as he cites copyright infringement and ‘unauthorized fixation and trafficking in sound recordings’.

This lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California. Currently, only two individuals have been identified by their real names and the others are listed by their online nicknames. With names like “PurpleHouse2” and “DaBang319," it’s clear that most of these users are simply rabid Prince fans. However, others like “WorldOfBootleg” and “TheUltimateBootlegExperience” show why the lawsuit has come to fruition.

It’s clear that Prince doesn’t share the sentiments as other musicians regarding the bootlegging of music. In 2007, he tried to sue Pirate Bay and his efforts didn’t pan out, but we’d imagine that this new lawsuit should make more noise.

[via Torrent Freak]

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